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T O P I C R E V I E W

Robert Pearlman

Former NASA astronaut evokes Captain Jason Nesmith of the the intergalactic spaceship NSEA Protector ("Galaxy Quest") in his editorial for the Huffington Post:

It is time for all of us to step up and proclaim that we will "never give up and never surrender" our pre-eminence in space leadership. It is time for us to contact our representatives and voice our opinions that NASA is worth it. Yes, there are naysayers out there; people who believe that NASA is its own intergalactic "collapsing star," where U.S. tax dollars disappear like rays of light into a black hole's event horizon, with little to no visible benefits.

There is nothing further from the truth. When you use your cell phone to tweet about how NASA wastes money, you can do so because of NASA technology. After a natural disaster, while you're wondering when the government will provide financial assistance as you re-assemble your fence, you are probably using portable power tools, technology developed by NASA in the 1970s, as we conquered the moon. There are many more examples. The Apollo Program alone provided U.S. taxpayers with a return on investment that has been estimated to range from seven to 20 dollars per $1 invested! Is there anyone today that wouldn't take that share?

cspg

(U.S.) Diplomats may not agree with italicized sentence of this editorial.

Robert Pearlman

You've lost me: where do you see the disagreement between what Anderson writes and a meeting of international space agency leaders?

cspg

Clay Anderson wants the US to lead while the diplomats wants the US to cooperate with other nations. At least that's what I understood.

Robert Pearlman

Cooperation does not negate leadership.

The International Space Station is the result of 15 nations cooperating together but there is agreement among the partners that the U.S. leads the program.

cspg

I agree. But would the US embark on a mission whose leadership is in the hands of another country?

Robert Pearlman

The U.S. has participated in robotic missions led by ESA and JAXA. And, NASA has offered its assistance to countries aiming for destinations where the U.S. is not currently planning to send humans (e.g. the moon).

The U.S. however, desires and continues to lead in the projects it has set for itself, including sending humans to Mars.